SUMMERFIELD town council Aug. 8 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

as reported by CHRIS

BURRITT

SUMMERFIELD – Mayor Tim Sessoms called the monthly meeting in Summerfield Community Center to order, with Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Williams DeVaney and council members Jeff Davis, Janelle Robinson, Reece Walker and John Doggett present.

DeVaney offered the invocation, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Consent Agenda

 5  0 to amend the meeting agenda to add a resolution regarding potential casino legislation being drafted in the state General Assembly.

 5  0 (separate votes) to approve the amended meeting agenda, June 13 open session meeting minutes, and a resolution concurring with North Carolina DOT’s decision to add Carson Path, a Summerfield road, to the state’s secondary road system.

Announcements

Recycling event. A recycling event sponsored by Guilford County is scheduled for 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 16, at Laughlin Professional Development Center at 7911 Summerfield Road in Summerfield.

Campaign signs. Town Manager Scott Whitaker said candidates in the town’s Nov. 7 election will receive a letter by email explaining rules for posting campaign signs.

Recognition

Sam Schlosser. The council recognized the contributions of Summerfield resident and longtime volunteer Sam Schlosser, who died Aug. 15, 2022, at the age of 75. (See p. 14 for more details.)

Resolution

 5  0 to request the state legislature grant municipalities the option to hold local referendums to decide casino and gaming-related issues. The resolution relates to the nearly 193 acres on U.S. 220 in southwestern Rockingham County that are potentially slated for a casino.

The project faces two legislative hurdles. In Raleigh, Republican leaders are drafting a bill that would expand casino and gaming operations beyond tribal lands in North Carolina. If enacted, the legislation would allow gaming in three counties: Rockingham, Nash and Anson.

Second, the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners plans to consider and possibly vote Aug. 21 on whether to rezone the Highway 220 property to allow “electronic gaming operations.”

The resolution passed by Summerfield’s council recognizes that “significant public sentiment in Rockingham County suggests that North Carolinians want a voice in their rural